Driving Conditions for Late Jan - Early Feb from Indiana, PA to Albany, NY
 

Hi everyone,

I'm planning to drive from Indiana, PA to Ithaca, NY, and then from Ithaca to Albany, NY in late January to early February. I live in California and have never driven in the cold (<40°F) before. Could anyone shed some light on what the driving conditions would be like? Honestly, I'm feeling pretty apprehensive about the trip, but because I'm attending two interviews, driving seemed to be the best transportation option as of now.


Thanks in advance!

That is a month from now so no way of telling. Could be awful, or not.

>> . . . driving seemed to be the best transportation option as of now.<<

If I had a choice I'd fly and not hope for snow free driving. But big storms can disrupt air travel too. (It very likely will be a LOT colder than 40° :) )

Well, it really depends on weather conditions on the days you travel.

If it’s just cold and dry it won’t be much different than driving any other time of the year.

The difficulty will come if it happens to be snowing, or sleeting in which case driving can become treacherous. Depending on the amount of snow it could mean traffic will move very slowly or if a lot of snow (as in the case of a blizzard) or covered in frozen ice the roads may become impassable until they are cleared by snow plows and salt/sand spreaders.

There’s probably a 90% chance it will be dry and easy driving.

Friday I drove from La Jolla to Hollywood and frankly would rather drive thru a light snowfall than repeat that 4-1/2 hours of hell.

No one can predict what the road conditions will be that far in advance. Cold will not be a problem but precipitation can be. I would just make sure that you allow enough days in between your appointments in case you have bad driving conditions and have to stay put for a day or two. If you haven't driven in snow or ice before then don't try it.

Where are you picking up the rental car to get to Indiana PA?
Either fly from Pittsburgh or from Harrisburg (MDT) to Albany or take the Pennsylvanian Amtrak from Johnstown to New York Penn station.
You don't know how good (or bad) the tires will be on a rental car.
The Pennsylvanian (41) when on time, leaves Johnstown shortly after 9AM every day. It takes about 9 hours to get to NYP.

NY State has the equipment and experience to handle winter weather conditions. They act not just react to weather forecasts and conditions.
Keep in mind that further north there is a greater chance of lake effect snow squalls. From Ithaca I would take the I88 to Albany, a dreary drive through the armpit of NY State, but less risky from weather point of view than the I90.

Once you get from Indiana to Altoona, the rest of the trip is on Interstate highways. In good weather the trip takes nearly 7 hours (420 miles). My suggested route is via Scranton to Newburgh NY and then north on I-87.
I learned to drive in northern and central PA about 50 winters ago. Learning how to control a slow speed skid without crashing into a tree or other vehicle is an acquired skill.

If you have never driven in snow....don't even think about driving on your trip...
Lived in California all my life....in the "valley"...
Moved to Washington---Eastern side..
Snow from Dec to March...not a lot but can be slippery and icey
I had to get all wheel drive car and snow tires....
Since there is no way to know weather more than 2-3 days in advance,
you would be taking a big chance missing your appointments...

.

There can be an awful lot of snow around Ithaca and Albany that time of year. Even if the Thruway is cleared, that does not mean

A. You will not be driving in the snow; and
B. That the local streets will be plowed equally.

If you have not driven in snow, I would not recommend it. I have seen drivers in LA get crazy when it rains, and snow is much different animal.

Everything that has been said is true INCLUDING that it may be dry and clear.
It's a 5 hour drive to Ithica, partially on interstatestates and the rest on what I'd have to assume are 4 lane highways. As is said, NY state has plenty of experience with road care.
I think you will need to look at the weather forecast 4-5 days before your interview and see if there are major storms forecast and make arrangements/plans based on that.
Ice is a much more dangerous driving hazard than snow.
There is no way to know at this time what the weather will be. Make your rental arrangements and assume it will be a bright sunny day.

Given the number and severity of hills in Ithaca, I would advise a first time driver in the snow NOT to drive, but use taxis to get around Ithaca. It can be iffy in the summer and could be dangerous in the winter, depending on snow and ice storms. If you don't know what to do, you could be betting your life!

It could be clear or it could be a blizzard.
If you’ve never driven in snow it can be nerve wracking and rental cars are generally not great snow cars.
I would make a plan B.

The average chance of a wet day (rain is also possible) mixed with snow is 5% in February and the amount of snow is an inch average.
https://weatherspark.com/m/22130/2/A...-United-States

<<...The average chance of a wet day (rain is also possible) mixed with snow is 5% in February and the amount of snow is an inch average...>>

depending on how you interpret the statistics that may be true but if you look closer it's more like an 18% chance a day will have some precipitation. Regardless, if it happens to be snowing, sleeting or there is ice on the road the day OP is traveling then is a 100% chance of bad weather.

As most every response has eluded - OP should have a Plan B.

My Plan B would be to wait at most 1/2 day to get on the road.

As stated above, this part of the country is well equipped to handle snow removal.

Here's a very recent example in the Albany NY area.

Sunday night there were ~6-8" snowfall overnight - 4-6" by 6am, and another 2" ending right around 9am.

Sunday afternoon/evening the highways were coated with brine to prevent icing. At 7am the interstate was driveable at near the speed limit. Roads were wet but there was no issue with slipping. By 10am all lanes on the interstate were clear and the roadway dry. Effective speed limit was same as any other day of the year, ~5-10 above the posted limit.

County/main city roads: Plowed and passable at 6am at reduced speed (speed limit -10), by 10am fully plowed but wet but not slippery, speed limit ok. By noon, clear and dry.

My rule of thumb (with many years experience):
Any snowfall at 1" or less I ignore & drive as usual
1" to 3" - proceed with caution, but don't change any plans.
3" to 6" - avoid driving during the active snowfall for any trip over ~5mi.
6"+ - sit tight and let them clear the roads
12" + = "powder day" Head to the slopes as soon as I can. Follow a semi on the interstate & hope for the best...

>>1" to 3" - proceed with caution, but don't change any plans.<<

But the OP has never driven in ANY snow.

I do hope amberturtle finds his/her way back to this thread and isn't sitting expecting Fodors to send an alert.

It has been “winter” for less than a week and Erie, PA has just gotten 5’ (that’s feet not inches) of snow in the last 48 hours. So much for statistics and averages.

<<NY State has the equipment and experience to handle winter weather conditions. They act not just react to weather forecasts and conditions. >>

No amount of equipment and experience can keep roads clear in the midst of a heavy snowstorm. It's all a crapshoot. No way to predict what the weather will be.

Ah yes, that elusive Plan B that everyone alluded to!! LOL

As for the current storm and Erie, Lake effect snowfall is something==and it was predicted for more than 5 days I believe.